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Hidden Figures: Film Review

So for the viewers at home and the millions around the world, who don’t know me…. yet! One of the most special things I.., we have is, space. It’s kinda like a giant Unifier. For what surrounds all of us.. is space. After creating the “greatest” weapon at the time, in the Atom Bomb, we sent a man to reach the star spectacled, black ocean. We flew a mortal to the heavens and then in to the beyond we had so little information about. I’m sorry, but as far as true heroes and the concept of human achievement/advancement, that is the chief of all time achievement.
This film is about the people who had a big hand in making it all happen. As a proud black man, I can say that thanks to black minds, the greatest human achievement happened.

I’m calling this the movie of the year whether they win or not.
The entire cast was immeasurably believable in each of their roles. For me however, I felt the best talents were Tarjai p, Octavia Spencer, Dunst and Costner. Not to single out anyone as being bad. Just these roles resonated. P. Henson has been hard at work with her roles. Her stand out moment has to be when she has to use the restroom and she gets called out for “taking longer breaks”. The promotion she gets should, one would think, lead her above the hate that was so prevalent in that era of time. It didn’t. The hate took a toll on her and she snapped. And it was amazing to watch. People were so attached to their hate that in so many ways they were jeopardizing their goal, Their jobs, and what would be their future and our present. But thankfully Harrison(Costner) saw that to be as stupid as it is now, then.

“HERE AT NASA WE ALL PEE THE SAME COLOUR”

Few play that old southern American better than Costner. He has a way of bringing something rich and new to the role, even if he is typed casted for it. I liked that he came off as a man of ambition. He wasn’t going to let his or anyone else’s discomfort for something different or anyone’s ego prevent him from reaching his goal. Costner is still a strong performer. be it in leading roles or supporting.
Outside of playing Mary Jane in Spider-man, and even then, I’ve never been a fan of Ms. Dunst. But in this role. I didn’t see Dunst. I saw her as the embodiment of white privilege. She was either directed well or did the right prep as an actor (perhaps both) and it’s hard to ignore how well she performed on screen. Her best scenes come from the denials of the supervisor position to Dorothy Vaughan. Vaughan felt like the mom of the group. When you have kids, you do everything you can to succeed in part for yourself, but more importantly for your children. And in this film she did that. She ensured the advancement of her “babies” by a adapting to the changes that could have very well been the end to her tenure at NASA. I was rather intrigued by her character right from the jump. She looked like she had no business being under that car hood, but there she was. Controlling her on “fate”. To me, outside of P. Henson, she was the strongest female in the film. It’s no wonder that both my favourite scenes come when she explains to her kids the library book; and how she led the group of girls to higher ground.

That scene, was by far the strongest. It’s brief, if you blink you’ll miss it. It did so much for so little. Women of colour were advancing they were climbing their way out of the basement, and into a position of being seen. In a position of being needed. How they built up that scene from the start was great. Vaughan looked out for herself and her cubs at the same time.

I haven’t seen such a well acted cast like this in some time. From the opening moments, to last words in the credits, It was, in all aspects, an immaculate production. They brought to life that feeling of having to do the most just to have a chance that many people of colour. All while showing how that to reach new heights, the height of space. They would have to unite themselves to a goal and put their differences aside.

A film about black women who are smart, beautiful (even while being dressed from head to toe), motherly, funny and ambitious. I can’t name many films like this one made recently. There wasn’t a set of man drama, there wasn’t a set of slackness and bacchanal. Even when they introduce the male love interest, they didn’t over saturate his role in their lives. The focus of the film is the women. It makes the film stronger because of it. I did feel like Janelle’s Mary Johnson was swept over some. Be it for time or just tell story trying to be told. Her story, and in no way is this meant as an insult, felt more “What you see, is what you get” as opposed to the other two women’s story. Which could be arguably called an allegory for so many things, chief among them, unity.

This film deserves all the praise it can possibly get. It’s inspiring for men, women and children alike. It is power, sexy, and endearing. I haven’t left a movie theatre with such hope for the future, pride in self (racially), admiration for the past, and sense of wanting to cry. Ever!

Movie of the year. Easily. If ever there’s another pro women/Black Women film.. this should be the precedent to compare from(Genre specific).

Bottom line: To the entire cast and crew, this film is superb.

Overall rating of the movie: 10 out of 10,

Cinematography: 9.9 out of 10,

Editing: 9 out of 10,

Audio: 10 out of 10,

Acting: 10 out of 10,

Theatres or wait for the blu-ray? Bluray, Totally worthy of whatever it will cost when released.